Battery host Toronto looking to kickstart season

The Battery return home to face TFC II, a team that has proved tricky in previous meetings between the two sides, but after a hard fought win on Monday, they will be looking for something to build on.

After resting players following the two games in four days, the Battery will look to be back to full strength on Saturday, with only the two previous injuries to Kevin Corby and Heviel Cordoves the outliers, while Attaulah Guerra is questionable.

Zach Prince came back from his two-game ban in the match against Rochester, and picked up an assist on the first goal, while he played a more central role against the Islanders, and came off to be replaced by Naveal Hackshaw in the second half. Ricky Garbanzo, Maikel Chang and Forrest Lasso have returned from injury, and all three played pivotal roles in last weekend’s matches.

The Battery’s new signing Jose Nazareno will also look to be involved, as he was an unused sub in sub in both fixtures last week, but adds a wee bit more depth to the squad. It would be nice to see what he can do in front of a home crowd.

For TFC II, despite their recent troubles, they do have some players who will definitely cause a threat to the Battery defense. There’s Raheem Edwards, who notched up half his side’s goals last year, and has four goals so far in this campaign. Mo Babouli was one of TFC II’s better players last term as well, and was a product of the TFC Academy, but earned a contract with the first team for this year, and has appeared in two of TFC II’s fixtures this year.

Romario Williams seems to be enjoying life on loan from the Montreal Impact, with his 5 goals this season taking him to number three on the USL top scorer list, and he’ll surely be hoping that his current form could continue against his parent club’s rivals.

The aforementioned Garbanzo could also be another weapon after his return from injury, and it will be interesting to see whether he and Williams will play together, as the pairing has been as of yet somewhat untapped. We’ll see if that changes as the season goes on.

And so, the match between the Battery and Toronto FC II might just turn out to be a cracker, as both teams need the points to kickstart their campaigns.The match kicks off at 7:30, and is available to stream on the USL’s YouTube channel. It’s military night, and the Battery will line up in special uniforms for the occasion.

A ball is cleared by Pittsburgh’s ‘keeper in the Battery’s last home match. Ross Almers Photography photo